The snow had begun to fall shortly before the sun had begun shining. It was a particularly cold day in Winterfell, most of its occupants chose to stay in their own chambers, keeping warm by their fires. However Sandor could not remain still, the events of the previous night still ringing through his head.

'Why are you here?'

'For you… Sansa.'

He snorted to himself, he had actually called her by her name. No nicknames, no proper titles, just Sansa. "Damn fool." He was close to punching the wall when he heard his name being called behind him.

"Sandor Clegane?"

Sandor turned, nearly letting out a gasp of his own, instead letting it turn to a grunt. Before him stood a woman he thought to never see again. A woman nearly as tall as him, short, yellow hair. Dressed as a knight, still wielding that Valerian steel sword.

"Brienne of fucking Tarth? What in seven hells are you doing here?" He eyed her as his own hand moved to the pommel of his sword.

"I could ask the same of you." She approached him, she two clutching the pommel of her sword. "I am Lady Sansa's sworn shield."

'Fuck' He couldn't help but feel this to be an obstacle. "You? A woman?"

"A woman who bested you, hound." Her hand clutched her sword tighter, "speaking of which, how you not dead?"

"I'm a hard fucker to kill." He let his hand relax, showing no reason for her to engage with him. "Now I serve the Lord of Light, or whatever the fuck he is."

Brienne could not help but let out a small laugh, "you're with the brotherhood? Forgive me but I hardly see you being the religious type."

"I'm not, but I had nothin' better to do." He then leaned against the wall behind him as he crossed his arms. "Thought about sticking around here, servin' the little bird."

"Little bird?" Brienne sized him up as he seemed to relax in her presence, as if he no longer felt her as a threat. "You mean the Lady Sansa?" She then gripped her sword even tighter, "I am afraid I cannot allow you to go near her."

Sandor let out a laugh resembling a howl. "I hardly think you have a say in that, if the Lady wants to see me, then she will." He then stood straight again, "you're not her keeper, Brienne of fucking Tarth, just her sword." He then looked down at her hand on her sword and shook his head. "A waste of good steel." He then walked past her, giving her no more time to argue with him.

…..

"My lady you must have him sent away, he is a dangerous man who will only bring trouble."

Sansa sat at her table in her room, watching the flames dance in her hearth as Brienne stood beside her. "Why must I do anything?" She then looked up to the woman standing beside her, "I am the Lady of Winterfell, my brother the King of the North. I must do nothing I do not wish to do."

Brienne bowed slightly to Sansa, "forgive me my lady, I only want to look out for you as I vowed to your Lady mother. I thought I had killed The Hound that day I encountered him so long ago, to find him here of all places caught me off guard."

"You said he was protecting Arya?" She looked back to the flames as she thought about her sister.

"He was, or he claimed to be. But my lady he must have been holding onto her until he could find someone who would pay a ransom for her."

"Arya is a smart girl." Sansa slowly stood from her chair, looking to Brienne again. "She would have found a way to escape from him if she felt he was using her or if she thought he would hurt or kill her." She then moved to her window which overlooked the courtyard. "He protected me in his own way in Kings Landing, he is not the man so many people think he is."

"Yet he still is a man." Brienne remained near the fire as she watched Sansa. "Men are hard to trust my lady, especially men who have served as soldiers, as brutes for so long."

Sansa nodded, then moved to a small desk against the wall. Sitting down she pulled a small scroll out and began writing on it. Once finished she rolled it up then handed it to Brienne. "I need you to deliver this to Sandor. Do not let anyone see it, I cannot have my brother knowing I am communicating with him."

"My lady…"

"Lady Brienne, you swore to serve me. Now I ask you to deliver that message for me."

Brienne looked to Sansa for a moment, words now caught in her throat. She then bowed again, "my lady." She tucked the letter into her armor before leaving Sansa's room.

…..

'Meet me in the Godswood tonight after everyone has gone to bed. Go through the archway nearest to the crypts, the guards there tend to fall asleep on duty.'

~Sansa

Sandor had been pacing the halls since the moment Brienne had given him the letter. She had watched him read it but he could tell she had no clue what the letter said. He enjoyed seeing the annoyance in her eyes as she walked away, knowing she wasn't going to be rid of him anytime soon. 'The fuck am I doin'?' He rubbed his forehead as he watched the snow fall from the night sky through a nearby window. Soon he would be heading to the Godswood to speak with her, soon he would have his answer, and he would know if she would have him there or not. He didn't understand why he was so anxious. He hadn't felt this way for a long time, if ever. He had shut off emotions after his brother burned him, after his family blamed his bed catching fire for the scars that covered his face.

But the moment he laid eyes on Sansa Stark, those emotions began to turn back on. He saw himself in her each time Joffrey would have her beaten, each time he would torment her for things that she had no control over. His pretty little bird, he knew he had to rescue her, yet he never did. Now she was a woman, a Lady, back home. Now he was there, practically crawling at her feet for her to take as a pet, as a dog.

"It's late Clegane."

Sandor's thoughts were interrupted by the bastard King's voice. He turned to see Jon standing behind him, arms crossed like a proud little boy.

"I don't sleep much, never have."

"Tell me Clegane…" Jon walked closer to him. "What is it you really want?"

Sandor turned to fully face this boy before him, Jon Snow never intimidated him, and he wouldn't start now. "Right now? You to fucking leave me alone."

Jon couldn't help but chuckle as he shook his head, "I know you're after something, and if it's to cause any trouble to my people, I will have you killed."

"Go ahead and try boy, perhaps get that woman protecting yer sister." He growled to Jon at his threat, he knew no one trusted him, but it still angered him whenever they would threaten him even when he had given them no reason to.

"I'm sure she'd enjoy the opportunity to try again." Jon bowed his head slightly as he began to walk away. "Get some rest, Clegane."

…..

Sandor had stood in that hallway for over an hour after his run in with Jon, he had to cool his temper before meeting with Sansa. But now it was late, he knew most people would be asleep and Sansa would be waiting. He quickly made his way out the way she had instructed, careful not to make any noise, though his footsteps in the snow were impossible to keep silent.

The guards by the crypt were indeed asleep, causing him to growl slightly. 'Undeserving to serve my little bird…' He wanted to gut them both, but it would take away from the time he had now. Instead he quickly moved through the archway and out to where the Godswood was hidden within the Winterfell walls.

There she was, wrapped up in furs to keep warm, sitting before a frozen lake. He could see just a hint of her red hair escaping the hood that she kept over her head. He was practically shivering from the cold, yet she seemed un-phased by the cold, almost enjoying it.

"Little bird?" He stopped short of the small lake, watching her as she slowly stood, facing him fully. A hint of a smile showed on her lips as her eyes locked with his before she spoke.

"I'm glad you came."

….

Unknown to either of them, a dark figure hid within the trees of the Godswood, watching them, listening to every word they would speak to one another.

((( That is it for this chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed! )))

~Huggles~